Simple question really, am I wasting valuable speed training for duathlon, if I increase my long run (done every 10 days) to marathon distance? My current long run is 1hr 30mins, typically a half marathon depending on terrain etc. That is long enough for standard distance duathlon, but I’m keen to race Majorca marathon in October. Trouble/dilemma being it is the same month as the European duathlon qualifiers here in England. My main concern isn’t building the miles to run a marathon (typical volume for me is a 70k week), but the extra recovery required may hinder my cycle/run speed work?
My head says forget the marathon for this season, focus on duathlon, but I have this ‘need’ (for want of a better word) to race a marathon. Thoughts?
As a person that gets inured easily if I try to do too much running in a week, and as a person that loves duathlons, I did what you are asking last year. I only ran 4 times a week, all targeted runs (long run, tempo, intervals, recovery) and the rest of the time I biked. All that mattered was making sure to space the workouts appropriately.
I won our local duathlon series overall point total and managed a 3:02 marathon on a rather hilly course in September, all without injury to me. I did a lot more running mileage in the Spring, mostly low Zone 2 stuff. I maxed out during the summer at 60km give or take).
Ask yourself the serious question, which one do you want to perform best at in the season? Because to try and focus on both will run the risk of diminishing one if not both of the performances. If you want to do really well at the championship race, then du training should be at the forefront and push the marathon off to another time (or realize that your marathon will suffer a lot for lack of training and just do it anyway).
You have a good recommendation to target your runs.
I’d think about doing something different. What about riding 3x per week?
maybe doing a mid week 2-2.5hr ride full of intervals, then 2 rides on the weekend as long as you can tolerate them and at least 1 filled with intervals. Just run easy short on the weekend and build your runs around the midweek ride.
I’ve had some pretty successful results with multiple athletes doing this.
Man I wish du was a bigger sport, with bigger & deeper fields.
I can’t imagine training for both will allow you to be at your best in either so it depends on what your goals are. Last year I did a marathon in February, took a month off and then a full season of olympic duathlons with races starting in June. The running I did in prep for the marathon sure helped me over the summer with my run especially the 10k.